1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a sorption heat pump and to a method of controlling a sorption heat pump comprising a generator heated by a burner, a condenser, a throttle valve, solvent recycling means, an evaporator and a thermal use provision.
2. Brief Description of the Background of the Invention Including Prior Art
Such sorption heat pumps can be absorption or resorption pumps and they are used increasingly to heat residential buildings. The sorption heat pumps are intended to replace hot water heaters, steam hot water and air heating systems employing for example boilers as heaters. The thermal use provisions of such heaters in general include floor heating, radiator heating and convection heating units, which are frequently provided with thermostat valves, as well as hot water tanks.
A number of sorption heat pumps have become known, which comprise a generator heated by a burner using a fluid fuel. A feed line for a solvent/refrigerant solution opens into the generator and refrigerant vapor can be withdrawn from the refrigerant and be conducted to a condenser. An outlet conduit for depleted solution is also provided.
The entire refrigerant vapor has to be supplied to the condenser according to such constructions and plants, or respectively the refrigerant vapor after condensation in the condenser is supplied from the condenser through an expansion valve to the evaporator. For instance, the ambient energy source feeding the evaporator, such as ambient air or surface water, may be at such a low temperature that the evaporator cannot evaporate the entire liquid refrigerant, which is supplied to the evaporator through the expansion valve. As a result, the evaporator becomes entirely filled with liquid refrigerant so that the cooled, liquid refrigerant finally enters the absorber and a heat pump operation is not any longer possible.